Page 80 of Flynn

I shook my head, relieved to hear her say that, but still confused.“Then why are you trying to send me away? I don’t want to leave you, Ara. I want us to be together, to start our lives. I’ll quit Foxy’s, I promise.”

She frowned. “No. I… you are scared, Flynn. Scared that I could have died. You’re not thinking clearly. You don’t know what you want.”

“I’m thinking clearer than ever before,” I protested, but she shook her head and licked her lips before wincing.

“Not the time to make… big decisions. Go home. Go on with life. I can’t be with you now and say goodbye to you again… if you change your mind.”

Fuck, that sucked. I did that, though. I put that doubt in her head that my feelings for her weren’t as strong as what she felt for me, and it was totally deserved. I’d made her doubt our bond, doubt that we could overcome anything. I had been a coward.

“Angel—”

She sighed. “Please, Flynn.”

I dropped my head down and pressed her fingers to my forehead, wishing I could hold her and convince her that I meant it now.

“You’re hurting. You’re scared. I get it. We can talk about this later, but I don’t want to leave—”

“I need you to go,” she rasped, swallowing hard.

I bit back my argument, desperate to make her see. But she’d already had her wishes ignored more than enough for a lifetime today. She didn’t need me telling her what she really wanted, and now was not the time to make a point and force her to accept my decision.

“I’m not giving up on you, Chiara,” I said softly. “If you really want me to go, then fine, I’ll go. But I’m not leavingyou.I’m not running away, and I won’t change my mind.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes and I fuckinghatedthat I couldn’t do anything to get rid of them. Fuck, this was all such a mess.

Forcing myself to let out a slow breath, I nodded and cleared my throat. “I’ll go home because you asked me to, but I’m not going anywhere, not really. I’ll give you time and space because I think you need it. But I’ll be waiting for you, Angel. I’ll wait as long as it takes. You and I were always meant to be.”

A few stray tears spilled over onto her cheeks, and I reached up to gently wipe them away. Relief coursed through me when she didn’t flinch or shy away, and I gently stroked her uninjured cheek. Standing, I slowly leaned toward her, and when she didn’t shy away, I pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I mean it, Angel,” I whispered as I pulled away. “You need space? I’ll give it to you. You need time? It’s yours. But you and me? We’re first and last loves, and we’ll find our way back to each other again whenever you’re ready.”

Her tears stabbed at me, but I needed her to know I meant every word. For however long it took, I’d wait.

Pressing another kiss to her fingertips, I gently put her hand back on the mattress and stepped away from the bed, hating every foot of distance I put between us. As much as it pained me, I knew it was the right thing to do. She needed this, and I’d do anything for her, even walk away.

“Flynn?”

I stopped at the door and turned back to look at her, feeling like my every nerve ending was raw and grated.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Thank you for coming for me today,” she rasped.

“Always, Angel.”

Chapter Twenty

Chiara

Two months later…

I sat on the back deck at Trev and Carol’s house, closing my eyes as the gentle breeze brushed over me, sliding through strands of my hair. I drew in a deep breath of contentment, never tired of the peace this town brought me.

The last two months since the attack had been a whirlwind of emotions.

Ellis was gone, put away, and for now at least, he was out of my life. I knew it was true, but most nights I still woke up in a sweat thinking he was out there and coming for me again.

I’d decided to take a break from work, and I wasn’t sure yet when I was going back. Thankfully, I was able to hand over all my clients to another caseworker who was incredibly passionate about her job. I was sad to say goodbye to the kids I was helping, but I was in no state to help them when my own state of mind wasn’t stable.

---